Domestic tourism thrives in Gaza
Local travel companies, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, are organizing trips for Gazans to discover the many hidden archaeological sites spread across the besieged enclave.
![A large mosaic is pictured at the archaeological site of the Saint Hilarion Monastery, one of the largest Christian monasteries in the Middle East, in Tell Umm al-Amr close to Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, March 19, 2013.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/2021-08/GettyImages-169894829.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=tF2lw2qz)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Local tourism companies in the Gaza Strip are focusing on domestic tourism in light of obstacles hindering foreign tourism. The almost continuous closure of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt has made movement more difficult, while religious tourism has nearly ground to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic has also prevented Palestinians from performing religious pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia since February 2020.